op-into Medicare at 55, stop Bush 37% reduction to Soc Sec check in 06

[papau]

http://story.news.yahoo.com/news?tmpl=story&cid=676&ncid=716&e=24&u=/usatoday/20040915/ts_usatoday/kerryvowstoeaseseniorshealthcosts

Kerry:Seniors health costs(op-into Medicare at 55, stop Bush 37% reduction to Soc Sec check in 06)

Wed Sep 15, 6:35 AM ET Add Top Stories - USATODAY.com to My Yahoo!


By Martin Kasindorf, USA TODAY

Sen. John Kerry trumpeted his health care program Tuesday as a recipe to bring down soaring medical costs, rejecting Republican contentions that a Democratic plan would mean a government takeover.<snip>

In a swap with states, the federal government would take over health care responsibility for children under Medicaid. Governors who agree would take over costs for low-income adults. Kerry says states would save $5 billion.

Kerry also would provide tax credits to small businesses to buy health insurance for their workers. And he would rewrite last year's Medicare prescription-drug benefit law to allow importation of cheaper, FDA -approved drugs from Canada and other countries and let the government make bulk drug purchases for Medicare recipients, as it does for the veterans health system.<snip>

Pointing to a chart set up on an easel, Kerry cited figures from the Department of Health and Human Services showing that in 2006, the average 65-year-old would pay 37.2% of Social Security ) benefits for out-of-pocket Medicare expenses, up from 14.8% in 2000.<snip>

He said the Bush administration "tried to hide" reports of the increase from the public. USA TODAY reported the figures Tuesday.<snip>

[2Design]

1. this is really good - many corporations are downsizing 55+ people

yes it is age discrimnation and yes they are getting away with it

BUT if Kerry gets in, and we can opt into medicare early - that sure would be helpful - then we wouldn't have to worry as much or move to another country just to get health care....

this is great

a step in the right direction....

I much prefer this direction for the country than building bombs and blowing up people....

now if we could help the rest of the world with a WPA program so they can get on their feet and have housing and food and safety

most socialist countries have low crime rates and much happier and healthier people - no matter what the rethugs say